


An Unexpected Offer

by MereMere22193



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 08:54:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MereMere22193/pseuds/MereMere22193
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma says goodbye to her family before she accompanies Mr. Gold to find his son. But someone she hadn't expected to see suddenly arrives with an unusual offer. Will she take it? </p><p>Slight spoilers for Season 2 Episode 12: In the Name of the Brother</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Offer

**Author's Note:**

> This is Un-Beta'd so I'm sorry if there are run-ons or bad grammar and stuff. This is also my first real try at writing fanfiction so I'd appreciate any constructive criticism. Hope it's not too bad!

This was not going to end well, Emma Swan was sure of that as she stood by her little banged up bug (not really hers, and not really Neal's) with her family as they waited for Mr. Gold, Rumplestiltskin, or whatever you called him. She looked down as she felt a tiny pair of arms wrap around her waist.

"Don't go," Henry cried as he tightened his grip. "You can't go, I just got you back. You can't leave again!"

Emma sighed; she knew this was going to be hardest on Henry. Her son had a few abandonment issues, and tended to surround himself with people. She just hoped that with both Mary Margaret and David (Snow White and Prince Charming, her parents, Henry's _grandparents_ ) that he'd be okay, however long she was gone.

"I have to go Henry," she said as she looked down at him. She sighed again as he shook his head against her stomach. "I'm sorry buddy, but I made a promise, and you always honor your promises," then Emma carefully unwound his arms from her waist before kneeling down to hug him too. "If it makes you feel any better I don't want to go either. And I'll be back, don't worry."

"Promise?" he asked his voice muffled against her neck.

"Promise," she said as she carefully untangled herself from him. She stood up then and looked at her parents. Her parents, that still threw her through a loop. "You'll watch him right?" She asked them.

"Of course we will honey!" Mary Margaret exclaimed as she hugged her daughter. "And we'll be right here waiting for you."

"It's not like we can leave anyway," David joked as he wrapped his arms around them both. "If we could, we'd be coming with you."

"Maybe we can have family adventure time at a later date." Emma said, with a small pained smile. Then she felt Henry's arms around her again and she reached down to tug him close.

"Well isn't this touching?" a voice sneered behind them. "I'm sorry to break this up, but Miss Swan and I really must be going," The family let each other go and turned around to stare at Mr. Gold, as he impatiently tapped his fingers on his cane. "Come now dearie, I've got my son to find and you've got a promise to honor. Let's go."

Emma glared at the man and shook her head before turning back to look at her family one more time, "I'll be fine. Promise." she said as she turned to open her car's door. She paused as another voice suddenly called for her

"Wait! Emma! Emma wait!" the voice, a very familiar voice, yelled. She knew that voice, how could she forget the shivers it sent down her spine. She just didn't know if they were good or bad shivers. Emma slowly turned around, and sure enough, there was Jefferson, jogging towards her with a frantic yet determined expression on his face. Behind him, she could see a little girl waiting patiently on the corner, Grace. "Emma, hold on." Jefferson said as he finally reached them. Emma could see both David and Mary Margaret tense from the corner of her eye; the restraining hand her father had on Mary Margaret's shoulder was telling. Both she and her mother had reason to not like Jefferson at the moment, her mother more so. Why David was tense was an interesting question, but she was glad for the hand he had on his wife. Mary Margaret might have run and hid at the sight of Jefferson, Snow White on the other hand was likely to eviscerate him.

"What do you want Jefferson, or should I call you the Mad Hatter now?" Emma asked, as he came to a stop and put his hands on his knees. He looked the same as he had the last time she saw him; black slacks and a black doublet over a silky grey shirt, a black trench coat and his ever-present scarf completed the look. Didn't the man own other clothing? Her eyes trailed to his neck where the scarf had loosened, and she could just see the curve of the scar that circled his neck. She shuddered at the sight of it; now that she knew the truth, the thought of anyone having their head chopped off and surviving was a horrific thought. It's no wonder the poor guy went mad. But there was something different about the man.

"No, Jefferson is fine," the man said laughing, though it came out a little uneven as he tried to catch his breath. He straightened then, and smiled at her. And her heart clenched a little at the sight. She knew what was different, the madness, desperation, and most of all the pain that could be seen in every line of his body were gone, or at least diminished to almost nothing. It was like looking at a man who was finally free after spending half a lifetime in prison. It made her heart flutter a little in the way it hadn't since Neal, since Graham. She was snapped out of her thoughts before she could start analyzing that little revelation as the former Mad Hatter started to speak. "I had heard you were back and I was waiting for my chance to speak with you. We keep missing each other somehow, you'd think that was impossible in a town this small."

"I think it's easier when you live out in the deep, dark forest. But I was wondering when you'd pop up again." Emma said with a smirk.

"Well, the woods are lovely, deep, and dark for sure, but I really do need to speak with you," Jefferson responded, an answering smirk on his lips. He glanced at the group congregated around the little car, smirking slightly as Rumplestiltskin stared at him in irritation, but the seriousness of the atmosphere was not lost on him. "And I'm obviously interrupting something, but this will only take a moment."

"Yes, you are interrupting something, so if you could kindly leave, I'd appreciate it." Gold snapped.

"Calm down Rumple, before you have a heart attack" Jefferson calmly snarked back at the imp. Jefferson smiled as Henry hid a snicker and Gold flushed a furious red. "Like I said, this will only take but a moment."

"What is it Jefferson?" Emma asked, her curiosity piqued at what could be so important.

"I'd like to apologize," he said frankly, taking Emma by surprise. "For everything," he clarified. Emma stared at him in wonderment. Was he really apologizing? Emma hadn't thought of him much since their encounter, but he hadn't seemed to be the kind of man to admit when he was wrong. She glanced at the little girl still waiting on the corner. Maybe he had just needed a little push. Emma looked back at Jefferson and saw that he was watching her expectantly.

"I'm not sure what to say to that," she started honestly. "I have to admit that I haven't thought of you recently, but even so, I'm not sure if I'm ready to accept that apology," Jefferson's face fell a little at that, but Emma wasn't done yet. "I may be able to understand why you did what you did, living alone with two lives running through your head obviously messed you up, but I'm not sure I can forgive your actions and the severe consequences they could have had." Emma stared at Jefferson, daring him to try and contradict her. He just sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, I wasn't really expecting you to be a water under the bridge type of person," he said, a rueful smile on his face. "But maybe I can try and get you to change your mind anyway. May I invite you out for a drink? Tonight?" He faltered a little as Emma's expression shuttered, the small smile that she hadn't been aware of disappearing completely. "Alcohol. Not tea. I swear." He said, crossing his heart with his finger. Her expression didn't change and glancing around, he saw how serious the group's expressions were, even little Henry's. So he was interrupting something very important.

"I'm not sure how sorry I am to say this, but I can't Jefferson. And I don't know when I'll be able to." Emma said solemnly. 

"Why? You going somewhere?" he joked.

"Unfortunately yes, Gold's called in the favor I owe him and we're going on a little field trip." She said cryptically, though it surprised her that she was telling him this much.

"Found a way to cross the town line did ya, Rumple?" Jefferson asked as he looked at the man. Gold just scowled at him and something clicked. "Wait. You've finally found what you've been looking for, haven't you?" he asked the former imp. His smirked widened as the man's scowl deepened. "It's none of my business, I'm just curious."

"You're right. It is none of your business. Now if you'd be so kind as to scurry of to whatever little hole it is you call home, Miss Swan and I have got to be going," Rumplestiltskin snapped, glaring at the former hatter. He then turned his glare on Emma. "Let's go Miss Swan. Now."

"Alright already, keep your pants on," she shot back, and then smirked at the little at the simultaneous snorts that Henry and David let out. Seemed like Henry had his grandfather's humor. She turned back to Jefferson, who staring at her with what looked like a little bit of worry. "Thank you for the invitation Jefferson, maybe we can talk about it when I get back." She smiled a little as his expression immediately brightened.

"Of course," he said, a smile on his face. The smile turned mischievous then and Emma only had a second to be concerned before he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you when you return. Have a safe trip, and Rumple," he waited until the imp turned to look at him, ignoring Emma's dumbfounded expression. "Try not to destroy New England, I'm just starting to like it a little." And with one last look at Emma, he turned to walk back to his daughter, taking her hand as he walked her to the bus spot.

"Mom? You okay?" Henry asked with a little concern, tugging on her sleeve. Emma snapped out of her shock and shook her head to clear it. Well that was...different. She turned to her parents and took in the worry on Mary Margaret's face and David's raised eyebrow. Well, that was not a conversation she was going to have anytime soon.

"I'm fine Henry, just ready to get this over with, come here and give me another hug," She answered her son, holding her arms out wide for him. He immediately rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her waist like a limpet. She looked at her parents again. "You guys too," and smiled as they immediately engulfed her in their warmth. "I promise I'll be fine." She whispered to them, and they nodded before letting her go.

"May we go now? Please?" Mr. Gold gritted out as he watched yet another sickeningly happy embrace. The family let each other go, and Emma stepped away, her eyes locked on the family that she had finally found, memorizing their faces.

"Yeah, we can go. I'll be back as soon as possible. Promise." She said one more time before getting in the car. As they drove towards the town line she glimpsed Jefferson standing next to his daughter at the bus stop. He looked up as she drove past and he smiled at her when their eyes met. Oh yeah, she thought as they went past, her heart beating with something other than nerves, she was definitely going to need a drink when she got back. And maybe being accompanied by a possibly former Mad Hatter wouldn't be too bad.


End file.
